06/07/2016
One of the premier VHF/UHF events on the contest calendar is the ARRL June VHF
Contest[1], which gets under way at 1800 UTC on Saturday, June 11, and
continues until 0259 UTC on Monday, June 13.
The object for participants in the US and Canada (and their possessions) is to
work stations in as many different 2° x 1° Maidenhead grid squares[2] as
possible, using authorized frequencies above 50 MHz. Stations outside the US
and Canada (and their possessions) may only work stations in the US (and its
possessions) and Canada. Stations in KH0-9, KL7, KP1-KP5, CY9, and CY0 count as
W/VE stations and may be worked by DX stations for contest credit.
Whether from a home station, mobile, or even portable (perhaps mountaintopping
or on the air at a nearby National Parks On The Air[3] site), you won't need
large antennas or elaborate gear to operate in the June VHF Contest, and you
don't have to be a contesting "pro".
June also is a favorite month for band openings on the so-called "Magic Band" -
6 meters. Even DX contacts are possible on 6. The June VHF Contest occurs at
the start of the summer sporadic E-skip season, and intense openings on 6
meters and even 2 meters are possible. It's a whole new world of propagation
possibilities that can include such modes as tropospheric ducting, aurora,
meteor scatter, and even moonbounce.
There are several classic entry categories, but for those who are new to VHF,
these categories might be a great place to get started in VHF contesting:
o Single-Operator, Portable: For those who enjoy operating low power from a
portable power source and using portable antennas.
o Rover: For mobile operators who enjoy traveling from one grid square to
another to hand out contacts.
o Single-Operator, FM-only: A category for the 50, 144, 222, and 440 MHz
bands at a power of 100 W or less.
Even with a modest station, it's possible to work hundreds of miles on the VHF
bands during a good opening.
Got a question? Contact[4] the ARRL Contest Branch.
[1] http://www.arrl.org/june-vhf
[2] http://www.arrl.org/grid-squares
[3] https://npota.arrl.org/
[4] mailto:contest@arrl.org
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